A rich and chocolate Italian gelato that's sure to cure your sweet tooth. This over-the-top creamy and decadent gelato is bursting with the perfect taste of chocolate.
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After going to culinary school in Italy, I learned how to make the most delicious Italian gelato. This chocolate gelato is no exception!
Upon tasting this gelato, you'll be greeted by the most decadent and rich chocolate flavor. It's perfect served in a bowl, on a cone, or paired with your other favorite gelato flavors.
I'll teach you all the best tips and tricks, so you can make a great tasting Italian gelato at home.
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What You'll Learn In This Recipe
- My favorite percentage of cocoa to use for chocolate gelato.
- The important ingredients you'll need to ensure the gelato tastes authentic.
- Helpful tips and tricks if this is your first time making gelato.
Don't forget to grab all of my favorite, go-to Italian gelato recipes, plus my best tips for making gelato at home.
Ingredients You Need
- Dextrose: This is a type of sugar that helps to reduce both the perceived sweetness and the freezing point of the gelato.
- Guar gum and locust bean gum: These are both types of stabilizers, and they're used to thicken the gelato. These are important if you want the gelato to have the correct texture and consistency.
- Chocolate morsels: I prefer the taste of chocolate with 60% cocoa, but you can also use semisweet chocolate morsels if that's all you have on hand.
- 2% milk: The milk helps with the texture and taste of the gelato. Since milk has a high water content, it's also the reason the gelato base can freeze. Pay attention to the fat percentage when you're purchasing the milk for this recipe.
- Granulated sugar: This is the second type of sugar used in the gelato. The ratio of sugar helps to determine how quickly the gelato will melt as well as lowers the freezing temperature of the gelato base.
- Skim milk powder: The powdered milk is important to help thicken the gelato and provide the correct texture.
- Heavy cream: You may see this ingredient labeled as heavy whipping cream at the grocery store. The cream provides a great taste and mouthfeel.
Check out the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
How To Make This Recipe
Let's walk through a quick tutorial showing you how to make an authentic version of Italian chocolate gelato.
1. Whisk dextrose, guar gum, and locust bean gum in a small mixing bowl.
2. Melt the chocolate by heating it in the microwave for 30 seconds increments. Stir the chocolate, and heat for an additional 30 seconds as needed, until it's fully melted.
3. Cook the milk in a heavy bottom saucepan over medium heat, until it reaches 105°F (40°C) on an instant read thermometer.
4. Once it reaches temperature, whisk in melted chocolate, granulated sugar, and skim milk powder. The skim milk powder takes a while to completely dissolve, so take your time until you've fully whisked it in.
Finally, whisk in the dextrose mixture. Then, continue cooking the gelato base over medium heat, stirring often to ensure it doesn’t burn, until it reaches 195°F (90°C) on an instant read thermometer.
5. Place a fine mesh strainer over the empty bowl on top of the ice bath, and strain the gelato. This will catch any large clumps to ensure the gelato is super smooth.
Chill gelato base until it has stopped steaming, then cover with plastic wrap, and rest in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
6. Finally, pour the gelato base into an ice cream maker, and process for about 20 - 25 minutes or according to the manufacturer's directions. The gelato will still be on the soft side.
Transfer the churned gelato into the chilled storage container and into the freezer to "cure" or harden up for a few hours.
Expert Tips
- Give the gelato base a full 24 hours to sit in the refrigerator. Not only will this allow the mixture to fully cool, but it will also give the gelato flavors a chance to marry together.
- If you don't have a gelato or ice cream machine with a built-in freezer compressor, be sure to place the bowl in the freezer for at least 24 hours before churning the gelato.
- To properly serve gelato, use a gelato spatula to swipe the gelato, then smash out the air before serving.
Recipe FAQs
Store gelato in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 weeks. It's best to keep the gelato in a freezer that's not often opened and closed. Every time the temperature of the gelato increases and then refreezes, there's more of a chance for the gelato to become icy/grainy. If you notice the gelato is icy or grainy, it has gone past its prime.
Yes, this recipe requires you to have a gelato or ice cream machine to churn the mixture. I use this Whynter machine.
Yes, you can make the gelato base ahead of time, and store the mixture tightly covered in plastic wrap in the refrigerator for 24 - 48 hours ahead of churning.
It can be served in either, whichever you would prefer!
More Gelato Recipes
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Italian Chocolate Gelato
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon dextrose
- ¼ teaspoon guar gum
- ⅛ teaspoon locust bean gum
- 1 cup chocolate morsels (60% cocoa)
- 3 cups 2% milk
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup skim milk powder
Instructions
- Fill a large bowl with ice to use later as an ice bath. Place an empty bowl on top of the ice. Set aside. Place a storage container in the freezer to chill.
- Whisk dextrose, guar gum, and locust bean gum in a small mixing bowl.
- Add chocolate morsels to a heat safe glass bowl. Heat in the microwave on 50 percent power (medium) for 30 seconds. Stir chocolate mixture, and heat for an additional 30 seconds. Repeat as needed until the chocolate morsels are fully melted.
- Cook milk in a heavy bottom saucepan over medium heat, until it reaches 105°F (40°C) on an instant read thermometer. Once it reaches temperature, whisk in melted chocolate, granulated sugar, and skim milk powder. Once dissolved, whisk in dextrose mixture.
- Continue cooking the gelato base over medium heat, stirring often to ensure it doesn’t burn, until it reaches 195°F (90°C) on an instant read thermometer.
- Place a fine mesh strainer over the empty bowl on top of the ice bath. Strain gelato base.
- Chill gelato base until it has stopped steaming. Press plastic wrap against the surface of the gelato (to prevent a skin from forming on top) then cover with plastic wrap and rest in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
- Remove the gelato base from the refrigerator, and whisk to reincorporate. Pour the gelato base into an ice cream maker, and process for about 20 - 25 minutes or according to the manufacturer's directions. The gelato will be on the soft side.
- Transfer churned gelato into chilled storage container. Place gelato into the freezer to "cure" or harden up for a few hours. To serve, swipe the frozen gelato with a flat paddle. Smash the gelato on the side of the storage container to push out some of the air. Transfer to a serving bowl.
- Store gelato in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 - 3 weeks. Store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 weeks.
Sandra
This was so rich and chocolatey! It seriously tastes exactly like the one I ate on my trip to Italy! Thanks for the amazing recipe.